sandeyeOther poses, which I do not indulge in: The sun salutation - alterations, etc
March 31st 2008 18:16
I rarely find two guides offering the exact same instruction for the Sun Salutation sequence. Most of the alterations involve such minor details as whether or not you are permitted to bend your legs in position 3/10, and whether or not to perform forward Namaste in the final pose.
One manual which deals with pregnancy, old age, and other obstacles to regular asana, suggests that at position 2/11, you place your hands on your hips and only tip backwards slightly, rather than until you can feel the stretch. This manual also instructs that you perform each pose with feet slightly apart for added balance, rather than together. In pose 3/10, when pregnant, you will need to spread your legs further apart to accommodate the baby/belly.
The guides I have read mainly suggest performing the entire procedure - combined of two halves with L/R leg alterations - either 2, 4-6, or 8 times. Only one manual suggests 12 times.
Most guides suggest going slowly, gracefully flowing between the moves, and paying adequate attention to your breathing. One guide suggests building the pace as you build the number of times you perform the routine - so your first time through is slow, the second slightly faster, and the rest as fast as you can manage without losing control of body or breath. The speed depends on which school/class of Yoga you choose to follow. Some require precision of position, others instruct upon pushing until a stretch is felt, whereas some tell us to go at the speed of our breath and take it slow and easy. Whether the Sun Salutation is performed as a warm-up, the main course, or as a stretch sequence amidst a routine, would depend on where the importance of speed, stretch and breath are laid.
One manual which deals with pregnancy, old age, and other obstacles to regular asana, suggests that at position 2/11, you place your hands on your hips and only tip backwards slightly, rather than until you can feel the stretch. This manual also instructs that you perform each pose with feet slightly apart for added balance, rather than together. In pose 3/10, when pregnant, you will need to spread your legs further apart to accommodate the baby/belly.
The guides I have read mainly suggest performing the entire procedure - combined of two halves with L/R leg alterations - either 2, 4-6, or 8 times. Only one manual suggests 12 times.
Most guides suggest going slowly, gracefully flowing between the moves, and paying adequate attention to your breathing. One guide suggests building the pace as you build the number of times you perform the routine - so your first time through is slow, the second slightly faster, and the rest as fast as you can manage without losing control of body or breath. The speed depends on which school/class of Yoga you choose to follow. Some require precision of position, others instruct upon pushing until a stretch is felt, whereas some tell us to go at the speed of our breath and take it slow and easy. Whether the Sun Salutation is performed as a warm-up, the main course, or as a stretch sequence amidst a routine, would depend on where the importance of speed, stretch and breath are laid.
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